Just three minutes into the crucial return leg, following a goalless first encounter, Wolfsburg’s ‘Wolves’ seized an early advantage. Dzenan Pejcinovic, assisted by Adam Daghim, found the back of the net, putting Christian Eriksen and his teammates ahead. However, their promising start quickly unraveled. In a dramatic three-minute span, Joakim Maehle received two yellow cards (11th and 14th minutes), leaving Wolfsburg with a significant numerical disadvantage and completely altering the complexion of the match.
Playing with ten men, Dieter Hecking’s squad valiantly defended their lead for approximately thirty minutes. But in the 38th minute, Paderborn capitalized on a corner kick, with Filip Bilbija rising to meet a long throw-in with a superb diving header, leveling the score. For the remainder of regular time, Wolfsburg struggled to withstand the relentless waves of attacks from their determined opponents.
Paderborn unleashed a barrage of shots, recording 31 attempts before the start of extra time, yet Wolfsburg’s heroic goalkeeper Kamil Grabara managed to keep them at bay. Lovro Majer, absent from the squad for this pivotal match, could only watch as Paderborn pressed for the goal that would seal their return to the Bundesliga. With neither side able to break the deadlock in regular time, the match proceeded to extra time. Approximately ten minutes into the additional period, Wolfsburg’s defense finally buckled under pressure. A cross from the left flank found Laurin Curda unmarked in the box, allowing him ample time to precisely place his shot past the previously impenetrable Grabara in the 99th minute.
Helpless to prevent the defeat, Eriksen and his teammates now face the reality of playing in the 2.Bundesliga next season, a situation not seen in nearly three decades, since the 1996-1997 campaign. Meanwhile, Paderborn celebrated a remarkable achievement, overcoming a top-flight team in the playoff to secure their promotion back to the Bundesliga for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.